The City of Seattle Awards LIHI Funding for Two New Tiny House Villages

The City of Seattle has allocated $5.9 million in its 2025 budget to cover the permitting, construction, and operational costs for new tiny house villages. This week, the City announced the creation of two new tiny house villages, which will consist of over 100 homes, in partnership with LIHI. Both villages will provide comprehensive behavioral and mental health services specifically designed for chronically homeless individuals in Seattle.

The new tiny house villages will receive referrals from the Unified Care Team (UCT) and its outreach partners, offering people living in tents, parks, encampments, or RVs an opportunity for more stable housing.

Sharon Lee, Executive Director of LIHI, stated, “These two new tiny house villages will serve hundreds of people in the years to come. We are thrilled to find vacant land and aim to establish these villages as quickly as possible. Our goal is to help vulnerable individuals transition from cold, wet tents into heated tiny houses this winter. We thank the City for funding these two new villages.”

LIHI has identified and signed a lease for a site in the Olympic Hills area of Lake City, located at 3121 NE 133rd St., to develop one of the new tiny house villages. Community outreach has been conducted in the neighborhood, and a Community Meeting was held on Wednesday, July 30th, at Akin.

Olympic Hills Village will operate as an enhanced 24/7 shelter, providing a pathway to housing for singles and couples.

Olympic Hills Village site plan

The village will include 44 tiny houses. Each tiny house measures 8’x12’ (the size of a small bedroom), and includes the following features: windows, a door, electricity, a smoke detector, insulation, heat, AC, a bed, furnishings, and a welcome kit.

The village will include case management and staff offices, a community kitchen, hygiene facilities, and a laundry room. On-site case managers will assist clients to obtain identification, apply for income support, and access healthcare, supportive services, employment, and housing. The site will be fully fenced with a security check-in office to ensure privacy and security for program participants. Staff will be available on-site 24/7. A Community Advisory Committee will be formed for Lake City residents and businesses to join.